Lamporte - St. Clair Funeral Homes

Nathan Adam Earls
(March 8, 1979 - November 20, 2012)

Nathan Adam Earls, 33, of Basco, IL, passed away Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at Barnes - Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO, with his wife and father by his side. He was born on March 8, 1979 in Carthage, IL. He is the son of Danny Del Earls and Connie Jean Shipe Earls Rampley Wear, who survive.

Nathan attended schools in Carthage and Warsaw, IL, and graduated from Carthage High School. He had worked at Pinnacle Foods in Fort Madison, Iowa. He married his soul mate, Frani (Estes) Earls on December 10, 2011 at their home in Basco, where she resides. They have 2 dogs that run the house, Duke and Ellie. Nathan was always talking Frani into one of his “great ideas” and of course his friends and family were always a part of them also!! From late night runs to Wal Mart to pick up RC cars & then building racetracks for them in the shop to building an outhouse in their bathroom and using a stock tank for a shower. Only he could make that look awesome. He was one of a kind with a personality that would light up any room. He would spend hours telling people exaggerated stories just to make them laugh. He was a hardworking man and he loved to go to work and share his stories about his “crazy” wife to pass the time and no one was ever sure if they were true or something that he cooked up for the day. Not one person was ever allowed to hang up the phone before telling him “I love you” back and then he would always respond with a colorful word and laugh and laugh. If you knew Nathan, you knew his favorite things were tormenting his wife and dogs, spending time with friends and family, playing guitar, getting tattoos, riding his motorcycle and RZR, target shooting, remote control toys, participating in the South Basco Swim Club, CHOCOLATE Dippin’ Dots and Frani's pot stickers that he always wanted cooked late at night.

Nathan served in the Army National Guard for over 14 years, serving in Iraqi Freedom. He was medically discharged due to his cancer, Synovial Sarcoma, without retirement. His cancer started in his knee and spread to his lungs, due to medical negligence by the Iowa City VA. The cancer was caused by Burn Pit and Chemical Exposure during his service in Iraq. His wife continues to fight with Veteran Affairs to get his cancer service connected, in order to receive benefits and compensation from them. During his service, he was awarded the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Armed Forced Reserve Medal with M Devise, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Iraq Campaign Medal.

Nathan is survived by his wife of Basco, IL; his father of Basco, IL; his mother of Carthage, IL; a brother: Kristen Clay Earls of Basco, IL; two sisters: Stephanie Danelle (Galen) Briggs of New Virginia, Iowa and McKenzie Lee Rampley of Carthage, IL; a paternal grandmother: Bonnie Earls of Basco, IL; and aunts and uncles: Penny and Randy Weigandt of Moline, IL, Cindy and Steve Rohrer of Moline, IL, Marcia and Dale Johnson of Basco, IL, Karlene Lange of Burlington, IA, Sandra Bavery of Warsaw, IL, Dale and Becky Shipe of Warsaw, IL and Gail and Travis Schulte of Keokuk, IA. He is also survived by many cousins and friends.

He is preceded in death by his grandfathers: Ervin Earls and Curtis Shipe, his grandmother: Lucy Shipe Rackley, his step-grandfather: James Rackley, and an uncle: Gene Earls.

Visitation will be held Friday, November 30, 2012 after 2:00 PM with family meeting friends between 4:00 and 8:00 at Lamporte – St. Clair Funeral Home of Hamilton. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, December 1, 2012 with Chaplin Sealoff officiating at Hamilton High School, Hamilton, IL. Burial will be held in South Cemetery, Basco, IL with Full Military Honors.